Web-based emailWeb-based email is email that you use through a browser (like Internet
Explorer or Netscape) over the internet and is usually FREE. Examples of this
type of account are Hotmail, and Yahoo mail. Here is a link to the top 10 free
web-based email services.
http://email.about.com/cs/freeemailreviews/tp/free_email.htm

The advantage of web-based email is that you can check your mail or send email
from any computer anywhere  you simply connect to the internet and log onto
your account.. The disadvantages are that it is slow, you have to be on-line to
use your email account, and the management tools are cumbersome and limited.
AND, typically in free accounts, you have to put up with advertising  lots of
advertising! (You can purchase the account and do away with the advertising).

POP3 Accounts
POP3 email is an email account that you receive when you sign up for internet
access through an ISP (Internet Service Provider). Some people do not realize
this, but when you pay for internet access, your ISP provides you with FREE POP3
email accounts  usually up to 6 or 7 accounts. Each account of course has a
distinct address.

The advantage of POP3 accounts is that you do not have to
be on-line to compose email, or to read your email or to manage your email. Of
course, you do have to be on-line to check your email. You use an email client,
like Outlook Express or Eudora to log onto your account and download your
messages from the server (your ISP server) to your computer. Your email is then
on your computer  you can log off your account and read the email off-line. You
can also compose email off-line. When you are ready to send you email, log on
(connect to the internet) and click on the send button. POP3 email is fast,
it has great tools to manage your email, and it has many conveniences. The main
disadvantage of a POP3 account is that you normally check your email on just one
computer  like your home computer or your office computer. But, you really can
check a POP3 account with Outlook Express on any computer that has your account
information in it.

IMAP EmailIMAP email is similar to POP3 email except that you do not download the
messages from your server (ISP) to your computer. The email messages are
actually stored on the server. This may be an advantage because you can check
your email from any computer  remember, the messages are stored on the server.
The disadvantage is that you must be connected constantly (you must be on-line)
to read the messages. Businesses and universities typically use this type of
email.

Final thought  if you have internet access through
an ISP (Internet Service Provider) and are not taking advantage of your POP3
account through your provider  you should be. Call up your ISP and ask them
for a POP3 account (remember, you may get up to 6 or 7 email accounts). Then
learn how to use your new POP3 account with Outlook Express.